Machine for preparing finings.



No; 635,925. Patented Oct. 3|,'|899. W. J. GINDELE.

MACHINE FOR PREPARING FININGS.

(Application filed Jan. 16, 1899.)

(N0 Modal.)

Nrrn STATES WILLIAM J. GINDELE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR PREPARING FININGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,925, dated. October31, 1899.

Application filed January 16, 1899. Serial No. 702,271. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. GINDELE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts,- have invented a new and useful Machine for PreparingFinings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for preparing that form of gelatinwhich is known as finings and which is extensively employed forclarifying beer and other beverages; and the object of my invention isto provide a simple, efficient, and inexpensive machine by means ofwhich finings may be prepared by a simple and direct process and withoutthe employment of the heavy manual labor now ordinarily required.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts and combinations ofparts, as hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out inthe claims at the end of this specification.

The accompanying drawing shows a side View, partially broken away, of amachine constructed according to my invention for preparing finings.

In most breweries the finings employed for clarifying beer are nowordinarily mixed by hand. In the usual practice the isinglass or otherform of gelatin is treated in an open mixing-vat with a small quantityof acid and a comparatively large volume of water. As the isinglassswells, or grows, as it is termed, it is essential that the mixtureshould be constantly stirred; otherwise the finings will becomparatively lumpy and will not have the necessary lightness anduniformity to produce the desired results, to say nothing of the factthat if the mixture is not sufficiently stirred the amount of finingsproduced from a given amount of isinglass will be comparatively small.It has heretofore ordinarily been the practice to stir these finingsduring their preparation by means of paddles or stir- :ring-blades,- andafter the finings are mixed in this manner it is now ordinarily thecustom to let the mixture set until required for use, when the desiredquantity of finings is usually bailed out of the mixing-vat and isbrushed or forced by the hand through a screen and is then used forclarifying the beer or other beverages in the ordinary manner. Thisordinary practice of preparing finings is comparativelyslow andlaborious, and on account of the fact that the finings are notnecessarily thoroughly stirred while being prepared and are in somecases allowed to settle or jelly too solidly before screening I havefound the present practice to be comparatively wasteful and notproductive of a uniform or high grade of finings. To overcome thesedefects, I propose to employ a machine for preparing finings in whichthe mixingvat is provided with simple and efficient means formechanically stirring its contents and to combine a screen with saidmixing-vat, so that as soon as the contents of the mixingvat aresufficiently stirred the finings may flow by gravity and be at onceforced through a screen. Furthermore, I contemplate employing a conicalscreen with a conical feeding screw for forcing the finings through thescreen, so that the entire apparatus will be automatic and will notrequire manual labor to operate the same.

Referring to the drawing and in detail, A designates a framework.Mounted on the upper platform 13 of the frame A is a cylindricalmixing-vat O. J ournaled in a step 12' in the bottom of the mixing-vatand in a box 15, carried by a cross-bar 16, is a vertical shaft 13. Themixing-vat is preferably of as strong and substantial construction aspossible and is rigidly fastened onto the platform B by straps or irons10. The central portion of the vertical shaft 13 is preferably square incross-section, and bolted onto the said vertical shaft 13 are aplurality of beating-arms 14. The successive beating-arms 14: arestaggered or offset from each other and extend from the vertical shaftsubstantially to the side of the vat C, so as to leave comparativelylittle spacebetween the ends of the beatingarms and the sides of the vatin which the finings can collect or make a permanent deposit. Thevertical shaft 13 is driven from tight and loose pulleys 19, carried bya driving-shaft 18, which shaft 18 is connected to the vertical shaft 13by means of bevel-gears 17.

Secured on a platform 20, carried by the framing A below the platform B,is a screen for mechanically screening the finings. As illustrated, thisscreen comprises a cylindrical section 21 and a conical screen-section22, (1e

tachably connected thereto. J ournaled in the screen is a vertical shaft23, carrying a tapering screw 24: for forcing the finings through theperforations in the screen 22. The vertical shaft 23 is turned bybevel-gears 25, carried by a shaft 26, having tight and loose pulleys 27thereon.

Extending down from the mixing-vat O is a pipe 28, having a valve 2!),which can be opened to permit the mixed finings to flow by gravity fromthe mixing-vat into the screen, the parts being so proportioned that theconical screw 2a will have sufficient capacity to mechanically force thefinings through the conical screen as fast as the same flow down throughthe pipe 28.

Finings prepared in this manner may be run into barrels D, and as thefinings are thoroughly screened and mixed they may be kept for a longtime without becoming unduly thickened or lumpy.

I am aware that changes may be made in the construction of my machinefor preparing linings by those who are skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims. Ido not wish, therefore, to be limited to the form which I have hereinshown and described; but

lVhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In an apparatus for preparing finings, the combination ofaclosed-bottomed mixingvat, connections for stirring the contents ofsaid mixing-vat by power, whereby gelatin may be treated with acid andexpanded to the desired extent while retained in the mixing-vat, ascreen, a valve-controlled pipe extending down from the mixing-Vat tothe screen for delivering the contents of the mixing-vat to the screenby gravity, a conical feed-screw journaled in said screen concentricallytherewith and connections for applying power to the feed-screw to forcethe finings through the perforations of the conical screen,substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for preparing finings, the combination of a frameworkA, a closedbottomed mixing-vat 0 supported on the upper part of saidframing, a vertical square shaft 13 journaled concentrically in saidmixing-vat, a plurality of beating-arms 14 secured to the shaft so as tobe staggered or offset with respect to each other, a bevel-gearconnection for turning the shaft by power, whereby gelatin may betreated with acid in the mixing-vat and expanded to the desired extent,a conical screen 22 supported in the framework A below the mixing-vat, avalvecontrolled pipe 28 leading down from the mix- \VILLIAM J. GINDELE.

Vitnesses:

LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE, PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE.

